


Infinite Playlist

by AcetylcholineOD



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Mild-ish cursing, Romance, Slow Burn Romance, music references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24747940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcetylcholineOD/pseuds/AcetylcholineOD
Summary: Zuko is a traveling musician, and tours the country sporadically (much to the disapproval to his family, except his Uncle Iroh).  When he’s not touring, he stays with his best friend / semi-roommate Sokka, living in Illinois, USA.  When Zuko returns one of his gigs after 2 months of being away, he finds multiple changes have taken place, including the addition of a new roommate – Katara, Sokka’s younger sister. Katara is a student at the local college working her undergrad program, in hopes of one day becoming a nurse practitioner.  Comedy, drama, and slow burn romance ensues.
Relationships: Jet/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 52





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone! If you are interested in knowing what songs actually make up this "infinite playlist", let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to share.
> 
> Please note I do not own in any shape or form Avatar: The Last Air Bender, or any bands that may be mentioned through out the story.
> 
> Thank you again - and enjoy!

_“That’s it for us, thank you all for being an amazing audience – we love you, PEACE!”_ the lead singer calls out the audience and the roar that returns brings a small grimace to Zuko’s face. Every city, every show, the singer ended their performance in this closing remark, and every audience has been “amazing” or “awesome”. _Can’t this guy find another word to call his fans? Then again, look at the songs_ Zuko muses as he begins to disconnect his guitar and start the break down process. The songs alone made him cringe so hard, it was difficult to say the least to get through this 10 cities/20 shows/2 months tour without wanting to stab his eardrums out. But money is money, and as long as Zuko could focus on his part of the music he didn’t care too much at the end of the day. Still, he could not deny that the fact that this was the last show of tour made him happy it was finally over. 

Half way through the clean-up process, he straightened out and stretched his arms over his head, groaning in the process. Off stage, a giggle caught his attention – shifting only his eyes to look in that direction, alarm bells immediately went off in his head. _Not groupies_ he internally groaned. While he didn’t understand it, somehow this particular band was popular with a variety of genders and the band’s manager could not resist allowing some of the “lucky few” backstage for the “ultimate experience” (read: those deemed “hot enough” willing to suck, tuck, and buck on a moment’s notice). Zuko was not in the mood for this – his contract clearly stated 10 cities/20 shows/2 months of playing back up guitar, not 10 cities/20 shows/2 months of being looked at as a piece of meat in fancy restaurant – HE. WAS. DONE. Immediately stopping his stretching exercise, he busied himself in finishing his part of the break down process in record time. A quick word to the stage manager, a nod to the lead singer who could barely be bothered what with the onslaught of free “tang”, and Zuko was off to track down the band manager one final time. 

When he did manage to find him, the manager was meeting with multiple record executives and media reps and almost did not respond to his presence. “Chan,” Zuko stated not as a question for attention, but a demand for it. Chan looked at Zuko and could barely hide his annoyance before turning his “PR Smile” on the younger man. “ZUKO! Ladies and gentlemen, give me two seconds to say good bye to our DEAR FRIEND, Zuko!” he exclaimed with the best display of fake exuberance seen on the West Coast. Zuko chuckled darkly inside – he knew Chan was a fake, but the media snobs just ate it up like usual. The truth was, Chan was super irritated with Zuko – he’d tried to recruit the talented young man into the band at the end of every show but was met with steely resistance every time. He finally gave up by show number 16 – he would find someone else, though it did grind his gears that this young asshole really thought he was above being a band versus being a solo contractor. Shuffling Zuko to the side and turning his back to the group of media reps, Chan let his nice guy facade drop. “What you want?”

“Has my paycheck been deposited?”

“Yes, yes – it’s done! Just like your contract states.”

“Cool – I’m out.” And with that, Zuko nodded to the exasperated manager and turned away without further ado. He’d almost made his escape before one of the lesser known media reps caught up with him. “Zuko! Hey, wait! Zuko!” His internal groan already going, the guitarist turned around with all his fury showing in his golden eyes. “What.” It wasn’t a question. The media rep tampered down their enthusiasm seeing the irritation in his subject’s eyes. “Uh…well…I was hoping I could set some time up with you for an interview; you know, get to know the ‘mysterious solo guitarist’ and maybe-“ Zuko held up his hand, “No. I don’t do interviews. Thank you, but no.” After this, he turned away but the other man was persistent, “Hey, I get it! We can schedule for something later – get to know the real Zuko; who you are, how did you get into guitar, what’s hiding behind that scar-”. At this, Zuko whirled around one more time and the media rep realized he had treaded in a very dangerous direction. Instead of saying anything, the furious guitarist fixed a final deadly star on the young man, then turned without a word and stormed silently off.

\---

 _“Ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate your patience while we work to have you off the ground and in the sky this evening – due to weather complications, we will be delayed for takeoff for another 30 minutes. Thank you again for your continued patience and please let a stewardess know if you are in need of anything. And again, thank you for choosing SkyWard Airlines where the sky is the limit!”_ Even though the voice was friendly enough, Zuko rolled his eyes and sunk further into his seat. _Weather complications – f-ing great_ his internal monologue bemoaned. It was 11PM and the storm outside his window didn’t look like it was going to be slowing down any – he questioned whether or not just getting off the plane at this point, but didn’t want to deal with anyone regarding anything right now. He just wanted to get back to some familiar surroundings and sleep for 24 hours in a bed that wasn’t rolling across America’s highways. Or, worse, in seedy motel where he would hear the rest of the band partying their way through the mini-bar and local floozies.

Taking out his phone, he was displeased to see that it still held a low amount of battery charge. Calculating the time difference between Washington and Illinois (two hours right now, so it was already 1AM), he decided text versus call the two most important people in his life – Uncle Iroh and Sokka. Why they were important were for very different reasons, but at least he had someone other than managers to contact at this point. He might have considered “the Ex”, but considering the state in which he left that relationship…. 

He texted Uncle Iroh first, although he didn’t expect a response (the old man was probably deep asleep already, considering he drank his special chamomile/valerian root/lavender blend tea before bed ever since Zuko could remember). 

Zuko: Hey Uncle – just finished in WA, waiting on the plane back to IL. Will call you later.

Quick, easy, and enough to let his only significant family know he was okay and heading home. His next text was a little more…less polite.

Zuko: Hey, Asshat – you awake? I’m done in WA, waiting on the plane.

He didn’t have to wait long for a response.

Sokka: Whyyyyy are you texting me so laaaaate, man?! You know what time it is????  
Zuko: Yes. Plane is delayed, and I’m bored, so I’m doing what I do best.  
Sokka: Annoying the hell out of me?  
Zuko: Yes. Any updates before I come back?

Their conversations via were usually like this – short, to the point, but tinged with brotherly-ish familiarity. Zuko might not express it outwardly, but inside he knew if Sokka wasn’t his friend he probably would be a goner long time ago. Sokka understood Zuko’s need for a friend, and didn’t feel the need to pry – he’d been a brother long enough to realize that there was a balance in that kind of relationship, and Zuko was not only honorable, but fun as well. 

Sokka: Well, there is one thing but maybe it’d be better to talk on the phone…I’ll call you now.

At that moment, the annoying/friendly voice came back over the speakers of the plane, _“Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to announce that we are now preparing for takeoff. Please turn off all electronic devices and make sure your seat tray in the upright position. We will be dimming the lights in the cabin and come through with beverage/snacks requests in the near future. Thank you for choosing SkyWard Airlines where the sky is the limit!”_ Zuko sighed his relief.

Zuko: It’ll have to wait, I’ll see you soon.  
Sokka: WAIT!!!

And with that, Zuko turned off his phone, plugged his earphones into his head, and waited in the rumbling dark of the plane to hear when he would be able to use his Z-Pod again.

\---

_“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Windy City – Chicago, IL. The weather is a brisk 60 degrees, with cloud cover throughout the day. Thank you for choosing SkyWard Airlines where the sky is the limit!”_

_Ugggghhh, finally_ Zuko rubbed the sleep from his eyes, though slightly more gently from his left than the right. Even though the “accident” had been nearly a decade ago, the memetic memory to be gentle was so ingrained he didn’t think it would ever go away. Aside from his uncle, Sokka, and the “other parties” involved, no one knew the origin of the scar and why he wasn’t more open about discussing it. Clearly, the media was dying to know but he didn’t care. It wasn’t their business.

The terminal in O’Clare was always chaos, but because he traveled so often, the disorder and noise was background noise. His only focus was grabbing his bags, calling an Yser car, and getting back to “home”. After that, Zuko only had three priorities – 1.) Take a shower at his leisure, that wasn’t on a bus or had dead roaches in the tub, 2.) Sleep in his own bed for 24 hours, and (this was dependent on how he felt after sleeping) 3.) Checking in with “the Ex” and seeing if he really wanted intimate company other than his own hand after 2 months. He checked his phone and saw that the battery had officially died somewhere in the air above. The drive from O’Clare to the suburbs of Chicago was another 2 hours – without the distraction of his phone, Zuko took the time to reflect his relationship status with “the Ex”. 

His relationship with Mai was so on again off again that he’d only taken to calling her “the Ex” when saying or thinking of her was too painful. Giving her a different name distanced the pain, but would never forget what happened the last time they called it quits. It had been about a week before he was planning to leave for this latest tour and Mai was protesting in her way; by being moody, non-communicative, and shutting down in general. It exasperated Zuko – when he was in town, times were good. They laughed, she’d come to the local shows he played, and making love was always seemed to be a pleasurable experience for them both. But whenever he traveled, she didn’t want to talk at all about her feelings – if she’d say something, maybe he’d consider listening. This last time, his own temper caught up to him and he begged her for an answer – he grimaced, remembering how the conversation went.

_“What’s your fucking problem, Mai?” he growled, shoving random clothes into the duffel bag he used for traveling. Ever since he’d announced his impending tour contract, Mai had grown from her normal goth like moodiness to a new level of outright Silent Treatment. Even when she was acting herself, she was usually quiet. But when she was angry, the tension rolled off of her in waves Zuko swore he could feel the vibrations in his bones. The woman who held his ire was stretched out on his bed, both infuriating and beguiling to him. She shifted her eyes to him and they narrowed – the most emotional expression she’d had in the last hour. “My fucking problem?” she replied, and then reclosed her eyes. A moment passed before she opened them again, the dark brown finding and locking with the golden. “I can’t do this anymore Zuko – you’re running away, and even if I begged you to stay, I know you won’t.” Mai swung her long legs over the edge of his bed and stood at her full height. Tall and willowy, she could stand toe to toe with Zuko without having to strain her neck to keep eye contact. “I tried, but I’m done. You can call me when you get back,” Mai hesitated now, and Zuko just stood in stunned silence. “But…I’m just done.” Before she’d given him a chance to react, she shut his bedroom door behind him and walked out of his life for what felt like the last time._

“Yeah…that ain’t happening,” Zuko muttered to himself. The Yser driver tilted their head, not sure if they’d heard their passenger right or not, and shrugged it off. This was their favorite type of fare – quiet, polite, sober, and expensive. Zuko resumed looking out the window again and was pleased to see the neighborhood had become familiar again. Sokka had inherited a decent sized condo from his grandmother’s passing and had decided to move in – it wasn’t long after “the accident” that he’d offered Zuko a place to stay if ever needed, as long as he paid for his portion of utilities. Zuko had accepted the offer gratefully – living with his Uncle was good, but he didn’t want to seem like a burden forever. And even if his Uncle could not help it, he brought with him reminders of those who had perpetrated the event that almost caused Zuko to lose his eye, and to always live with a scar that changed his face forever. 

The Yser driver stopped in front of the condo building and offered demurely to help Zuko with his bags upstairs but the young man refused. It was only 1 flight of stairs, and after years of practice carrying the duffel and guitar, they felt nearly weightless. Zuko tipped the driver well and only after he saw the car drive off did he breathe a deep sigh of weariness. Priority two (sleep) was starting to beat out priority one (shower), even if he might regret smelly bed sheets later. He climbed the porch stairs and barely looked at the call button menu and pressed the “Residence 2” button without much thought. The buzzing alerted him that he was given entry, and in he went, bypassing the lock boxes that served for mailboxes, and bypassing the lobby/building “guard” (a generous title, if you asked Zuko) who barely acknowledged that he recognized him as a resident. Guitar case in his left hand, and duffel bag in his right, Zuko trudged up the thankfully one flight of stairs to the second floor of the building. He fished his keys from his pocket and stepped inside the “home” he’d known for the last 3 years.

“Sokka! I’m home!” he called, not sure whether his roommate would be home or not. He did hear something in the background, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. Shrugging, he worked his way through the foyer/kitchen area and skirted the large grey couches that took up most of the living room. He continued to the left side of the condo, which held the laundry area, his room, and private bathroom. As he got closer, Zuko realized the sound he was hearing was water pouring out of a shower head…coming from his bathroom. _What the fuck?_ he thought to himself, too tired to think logically. But in his sleep deprived state, and already temperamental from the rough flight and exhausting thoughts of Mai, he was not in the mood for anything – especially whatever was happening in his shower that would prevent Priority 1 from happening sooner than later. Gingerly he laid down the duffel bag and guitar case, not wanting to give the “intruder” any sense of his coming in. Using the stealth it took for him to dodge groupies, paparazzi, and people in general, he snuck his way into the shower and through the haze could barely see the outline of someone in his shower. What he did next he could only blame on temporary insomnia induced insanity.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot Recap: Zuko is a traveling musician, and tours the country sporadically (much to the disapproval to his family, except his Uncle Iroh). When he’s not touring, he stays with his best friend / semi-roommate Sokka, living in Illinois, USA. When Zuko returns one of his gigs after 2 months of being away, he finds multiple changes have taken place, including the addition of a new roommate – Katara, Sokka’s younger sister. Katara is a student at the local college working her undergrad program, in hopes of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. Comedy, drama, and slow burn romance ensues.
> 
> When we last left Zuko, he was about to do something crazy. But isn't crazy relative? No pun intended

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has left comments and kudos - I can't tell you how that warms the cold cockles of my heart when I see notifications for these.
> 
> ***THERE IS AN NSFW SCENE IN PART 2 - you have been warned.***

Zuko viciously pulled back the red shower curtain and locked eyes with the clearest blue eyes he’d ever soon. Blue eyes that grew wide with surprise, fear, and anger rolled into one hurricane of emotion. “WHAT THE HELL?!” the woman in his shower screamed, yanking the curtain back. Zuko could only back up with shock – what was a woman doing in his shower?! In his panic, he stumbled out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and began shouting for his roommate – whatever this was, it was Sokka’s fault, guaranteed. “SOKKA, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU ASSHAT!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, barely acknowledging the noise of the shower behind him was being turned off and the sounds of someone scrambling around. As if summoned by the power of Zuko’s curse, Sokka came walking into the foyer/kitchen as innocent as the day he was born. “Zuko! Good to see you bud!” he greeted Zuko cheerfully, oblivious to the chaotic storm he’d just walked into. “What’s up?” The bewildered male stared at his friend in a way that might convey that he was contemplating murder. “There’s a fucking woman in my shower, Sokka! Who the fuck is that?! Did you kick me out without me knowing?!” he screeched, embarrassed by his outburst. Sokka starred for a moment, taking in the scene and trying to understand what might have happened, when the proverbial light bulb “click” on for him. “Oh, man – oh shit, did you check your voicemails or texts when you landed?”

“No, my phone is dead – what the fuck is going on?”

“Do you remember my little sister, Katara?”

“…No? Maybe? What does that have to do with a stranger in my shower?”

“Shiiiiit, I wish you had checked those, man – I tried to tell you before you took off this morning. Katara needs a place to stay for a few weeks and since you were gone for a moment…” he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. Zuko took a deep breathe through his nose; clearly his friend did not think this was a serious as it was. “So the woman in my shower is…” he slowly put together, but before he could finish his sentence, it was finished for him. “Katara, my name is Katara.” a clear voice stated from behind him, causing a small jump. Turning around, Zuko was able to take his first calm look at his friend’s so called little sister.

Oh…his eyes looked her from the top of her head first, considering he was a good 6 inches taller. Her dark wavy hair was still slightly damp, beginning to dry in soft curls that frames a heart shaped face. In that said face, the two clearest blue eyes he’d ever seen stared back as him warily, as if trying to decide if she should trust this random stranger or not. Around her neck she wore a small blue pendant tied with a silk ribbon right around her neck, resting just in the hollow of her throat. And below that throat…Zuko forced his eyes to quickly look down the rest of her, versus what he felt could be quickly misinterpreted to be lecher-like. Light brown arms crossed her ample chest, and the black t-shirt with skinny jeans she wore were fitted enough for him to quickly see what she was curvy, but not over the top so. She coughed, breaking the moment and bringing a small blush to Zuko’s face to which he thought What the hell am I doing? Shaking his head, Zuko blinked and brought his gaze back to Katara’s eyes. “Ummm…hey?” he offered, not sure what to say in this kind of situation.

\---

_Good Gods, what a stupid day…_ Katara thought to herself, dragging herself up the stairs to her brother’s condo. Within 24 hours, her life was flipped upside down and it seemed like ages since she had stopped moving. After the panic and fear of what happened two nights ago, her adrenaline was the only thing keeping her afloat. Worse, the school she was attending hadn’t informed the students that the first classes of the day were being cancelled due to maintenance to the office (the sleep she could have had!). Then Jet decided to try and text her something he probably thought was funny but just irritated Katara more than ever, not to mention put a bolt of terror in her soul where there should have been none. When working to delete this, she unintentionally also deleted something her brother had texted before fully reading, letting her curiosity run wild for a good while. The final straw was petty, but her favorite boba shop had just canceled her favorite flavor combination. The universe was working against her, it was a conspiracy. “I just need to take a nice, hot shower and then black out for a while…” she told herself, already knowing that while the shower would happen, the “black out” was only a wish. She had way too much studying to do before she could even consider letting herself take a nap, not to mention figure out how she was going to get the rest of her stuff from her old apartment. As she walked through the condo she called out to her brother, but guessed he wasn’t home when he didn’t answer. A paper on the counter briefly caught her attention, but the desire to relax in the shower was too great to ignore. And then all thoughts of relaxation flew out the window when some…punk freak ambushed her in the shower. “WHAT THE HELL?!”

As soon as the surprise encounter happened, it was just as quickly over. Katara hurriedly turned off the shower and locked the door. Breathing in and out, she worked to calm herself down enough to quickly dry off before pulling on her “comfort” clothes – clean underwear, her softest black band tee (Five Finger Death Punch – a gift from her brother), and skinny jeans that hugged her legs without cutting off all circulation. She placed her ear to the door and could tell that whoever the stranger was, they were now yelling for her brother, which was strangely reassuring. Knowing that whoever this was knew Sokka must mean he was allowed to have access to the condo – not just anyone had a key and could waltz right in, right? Cautiously, she unlocked the door, and after a quick surveillance, stepped out of the bathroom to finish putting herself back together. After locating her hairbrush, as she pulled it through her thick hair, she took in the new items that joined her surroundings – a black, overstuffed duffel bag with airport tags on it, and a battered guitar case literally covered in band stickers, some of which she recognized, but many that she did not. As the brush finished pulling through her damp tresses, she could hear snippets of the strange man and her brother talking.  
…”Do you remember my little sister, Katara?”

“…No? Maybe? What does that have to do with a stranger in my shower?”

“Shiiiiit, I wish you had checked those, man – I tried to tell you before you took off this morning. Katara needs a place to stay for a few weeks and since you were gone for a moment…” _Well, at least he respects my reason WHY I need place to stay as private_ she thought to herself, sighing with relief. While she wasn’t the first woman to leave a bad boyfriend, she did feel like a stupid one sometimes for not realizing how badly she needed to do it sooner. To say it plainly, it was complicated and she was grateful that her brother was able to take her in so quick while she figured everything out. What she didn’t understand was why he didn’t think she needed to know about another person who clearly had access to his condo and acted like he lived there too.

Quietly she made her way into the living room – there her brother was, standing in the kitchen with a sheepish look on his face, and in front of her (his back to her this time) was the stranger who barged into her shower uninvited. From behind, she could see that he had a short and shaggy haircut; his broad shoulders were covered in a blood red t-shirt, the back of which listed various tour dates for some band she didn’t recognize; and his long legs were encased in tight jeans that would put any Calvin Klein model to shame. “So the woman in my shower is…” he slowly started to say before she interrupted him. “Katara, my name is Katara” she spoke up, and in that moment he turned to face her and look at her fully for the first time. _Ohhhh my_ Katara’s inner voices were a flutter; if his back looked good, his front was just as nice. Even that scar…she took in his stillness and held his gaze for a moment – his eyes were like molten gold and so serious you’d think she were staring at a much older man than one who looked barely the same age as her brother. It wasn’t until his eyes started to travel lower that she felt that heat a little too well. She coughed, and his eyes shot back up to hers as if guilty of some unspoken crime. He cleared his throat and in a voice that was less than smooth said “Ummm…hey?”

Sokka took in the scene as quiet of an observer as possible. While many had dismissed his laid back attitude as slacker, stoner, or in his girlfriend’s case adorably oblivious, he could sense tension when it was brewing. In manner of trying to keep the peace, he injected himself into this very interesting exchange. “SO LIKE I WAS SAYING – Zuko, this is my little sister, Katara. Katara, this is Zuko – wait, didn’t you get my text message?” his eyebrows came together in confusion. Surely his sweet sister wouldn’t have been shocked or even showering in his roommate’s shower had she known he was coming home today. “Uhhh, no?”

“What about my note on the counter?”

“…no?”

Sokka shook his head – apparently, he was truly the only intelligent person in this universe. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning. Katara – Zuko is my roommate; he travels for work sometimes. When you had to move in, he was traveling. Zuko – my little sister needed a place to stay and I had the space to take her in – it’s literally been less than 48 hours since she’s been here. Now, if that’s settled…” turning his back to the two of them, “I’m going to guess we probably all need a beer after that awkwardness – though Zuko…you need to shower man, you stink!”

\---

_Okaaay, let’s recap_ Zuko he thought in his head, finally getting the privacy he wanted in his own shower. _So my roommate invites his little sister to live with him – us – for who knows how long, and I’m just supposed to go “Okay, cool, give me a beer”? What the hell…_ he shook his head and started to soap up his tense muscles. Even with these new developments, he would be damned if he didn’t acknowledge how much less stressed out he was just getting away from the semi- squabbling siblings and finally taking care of Priority 1. Though, thinking about the siblings instantly brought images of Katara to his mind that he started to mull over. _Katara…I mean, she’s definitely different – doesn’t really look too much like Sokka, thank Gods, and is super different looking from Mai…Mai…_ the warm water and his careless thinking into the last good time he’d had with his ex-girlfriend caused his mind to lead him to some dangerous thoughts. Unbidden, his cock twitched remembering that time – images of Mai between his legs, clawing her long sharp nails down his thighs, teasing with her equally sharp tongue. Zuko gasped, leaning his forehead to the cool shower tile and gripped himself tight. Priority 3 was apparently going to be happening now, ahead of schedule.

_Mai slowly lowered her mouth fully over the head of Zuko’s straining penis, all the while looking him in the eyes. He breathed hard, loving and hating it when she teased like this. She moved her head slowly, coating him thickly, and when she came up for air a string of saliva still connect her to the tip of his hardened manhood. “Did you like that?” she whispered before shimmying her way back up his body, still fully staring into his eyes, daring him to contradict. He simply answered by swiftly lifting her up and impaling her hard and swift – Mai threw her head back, clearly in ecstasy. Zuko’s back arched, feeling her filling up with him as close as two humans could be. As she began to ride him, undulating her hips in pace with his bucking thrusts, he concentrated all his efforts on keeping that full feeling going, harder, slicker, hotter…_

“Haaaa…” Zuko exhaled hard as these final images pushed him to the edge, and splattered his seed against his hand and shower wall. He breathed just as heavy as he did back then, and turned himself so his back was touching the cool tile instead. Water ran down and washed away the evidence of his pleasure both from the wall and his body, and he felt himself begin to cool down from the intensity of his orgasm. Shaking his head, Zuko forced himself to turn off the water before it started to run cold, and stepped out of the shower into the steamy bathroom. Standing before the mirror, he had a good chance to look at himself as the curtain of steam began to dissipate – being on the road so long was not good to him. His hair was longer than he was used to, he couldn’t remember eating a decent meal, and didn’t have the luxury of working out while on the road. It hadn’t impacted his muscle tone too much, but he still didn’t like the “soft” feeling that was starting to creep in. _Well, that can be fixed_ he mused, already knowing how easy it would be to fall back into his “at home” routine. A quick towel dry of the hair, a little moisturizer on the face, and he was already starting to feel human again. “Now…sleep…or beer…” he debated aloud, rustling through his left behind clean clothing. By the time he pulled on a new set of boxer briefs, jeans, and long sleeve tee, he made up his mind that a beer wouldn’t be too bad before bed. At least then he could get the full scoop from Sokka on what was happening without him in Chicago…and maybe get to know Katara a little bit as well. Though he wasn’t sure which option he was really interested in more, and that surprised him a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave your comments with any feedback you have.
> 
> By the way, being ambushed in a shower, naked and wet, is TERRIFYING. Worst jump scare ever.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot Recap: Zuko is a traveling musician, and tours the country sporadically (much to the disapproval to his family, except his Uncle Iroh). When he’s not touring, he stays with his best friend / semi-roommate Sokka, living in Illinois, USA. When Zuko returns one of his gigs after 2 months of being away, he finds multiple changes have taken place, including the addition of a new roommate – Katara, Sokka’s younger sister. Katara is a student at the local college working her undergrad program, in hopes of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. Comedy, drama, and slow burn romance ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the comments and kudos - working 40+ hours and still having a fairly busy home life means my writing time is fairly limited. But, I am committed to trying to post at least twice a week - please enjoy today's update :)

Both siblings were still mildly arguing with each other when he exited his room, but in a way that didn’t sound too bad anymore. If anything, it was the kind of arguing you would expect to hear from a brother and sister who would still clearly love each other regardless of the outcome. He held himself back from entering the living room right away – while it might seem like spying, Zuko wanted to know what the mood of the room was going to be before he committed to a beer with two potentially angry people. Silently, he eavesdropped on the pair.

Katara was standing with her hands on her hips while Sokka had his back turned from her and was bent into the fridge. “So you couldn’t tell me before I accepted your offer to live here that you have a roommate?” She asked her tone sounding like she was trying one last time to get her big brother to admit defeat. Sokka pulled himself out of the fridge at that moment, triumphantly holding three bottles of beer, “Ah-hah! And let’s look at the facts. One, considering you literally ran to my place about 2 hours before I even heard from Zuko he was coming back, it was a little distracting, you know? Two, by the time I was up and conscious, you were already at school, deleting my text message! And three, it is not my fault that you didn’t read the note I left for you before I left for work. Didn’t you think it was weird going into a stocked bathroom?” he questioned back at her before pulling out a lime for the beers. It was Katara’s turn to blush, “No, I mean, I don’t know? I know Suki comes and stays here sometimes…plus that room is so empty…” Sokka nodded, growing quiet in his lime slicing, “Yeah…Zuko keeps it pretty Spartan, and has a lot in storage right now – it’s kind of how he was raised…” 

Before either one could continue, Zuko thought this would be a good time to interrupt. “Sokka,” the now-clean Zuko announced, walking into the living room and making himself comfortable on one of the oversized couches. Grinning cheerfully at his sister, Sokka picked up the three beers with ease, and tilted his head towards the living room, “Come on, let’s hang for a minute and then we’ll talk this all out, okay? You’ll find he’s not a bad guy once you get to know him”. Katara’s gaze shifted over to where the other young man sat, clearly fighting off exhaustion just to be with his longtime friend. “Alright.” She followed her older brother and took a seat that was probably as far from her unexpected roommate as possible. Zuko gratefully accepted the beer and immediately pushed the lime right into the bottle, clearly looking forward to a good drink. If it wasn’t for Sokka’s prying, of course.

“So how was the tour, man? Exciting? Lady filled?” his best friend asked, handing the outstanding beer to his sister. Katara’s interest was piqued immediately, _tour_? Zuko, on the other hand, grimaced and lowered the bottle from him face. “It was…okay? Like…cool for the first few days, shows were decent, but then true colors come out,” he shrugged his shoulders, acting very nonchalant. Every time he came back from a long term gig, Sokka acted like this was a big deal, but for Zuko it was just his way of actually doing what he wanted and making a living at it as well. Fully prepared to take a drink this time, he was once again thwarted by his over curious friend. “What about the chicks man? Anyone catch your eye?” Sokka wiggled his eyebrow suggestively at this, and even Katara chuckled at this antics. She recognized this behavior from her brother – it was his approach to getting people to open up to him and feel comfortable. In Zuko’s case though, it looked more like it was his way of preventing drinking his beer. As the other young man miserably began to describe the antics of the fans, the band, and all the oddness of the tour itself, she took a moment to look him over more thoroughly while she nursed her beer. Zuko had changed into another band t-shirt (again, one she didn’t recognize), but this one had short sleeves which displayed his toned arms to perfection. Her eyes wandered to his face and she could see (now that he wasn’t scowling or bewildered looking), his face was kind and handsome. Even with the scar taking up most of the left side of his face from his eye to his ear, it provided a sharp contrast that made him seem even more intriguing. Realizing where her thoughts were going, Katara blushed and admonished herself inside her head. _Girl, what the fuck are you thinking? You just left the douchebag of the year, you cannot think about a booty call this quick – and he’s clearly Sokka’s best friend and brothers and sisters don’t do that to each other – right? RIGHT_ she took a hard swallow of her drink and shook her head to clear the “highly inappropriate” thoughts of Zuko from her head. A quick glance told her that neither men had witness her spastic moment.

In fact, Zuko was more focused on finishing his story quick before his beer went flat. _I already pushed the lime in, man, come on…_ ”…so yeah, that’s how we all ended up in this tiny urgent care in the middle of Wyoming” he finished his most recent tale. He took advantage of Sokka’s belly laughing and took a quick swig from the sweating bottle in his hand. “Ahhh…” he smiled, enjoying the first good drink he’d had in a while – he didn’t like mixing drinking with what he considered working. He went for a second swig when Sokka hit him with a shock that almost caused him to choke. “So…Azula came around a few days ago, looking for you.”

\---

The mood in the room changed, but only so slightly that Katara could see a just a hint of tension enter Zuko’s figure. _Who’s Azula?_ she wondered, looking over at her brother to see if she could interpret his angle. Sokka’s expression was soft, but facial features stoic enough to hint towards the seriousness of the statement. Her eyes drifted back over to Zuko who looked to be considering whether he should speak or not. A moment later, he decided to break the silence, “Really. Do you know what she was looking to find?”

“Well…it wasn’t just Azula – she brought Mai and Ty Lee with her too,” Sokka scratched at this ear, acting like this wasn’t a very important development in recent history. Zuko’s mood darkened more, “Oh yeah? Sounds like a fucking party.” Sokka held up his hands, one empty and one with his almost empty beer, “Hey – I sent them packing; told them you weren’t home, but didn’t say where you were. Although, I would have thought Mai would have known better, considered how she left before…” The other young man shook his head, “Nah, I just told her I was leaving, didn’t really give details…thank you for covering though”.  
“No problem, man – anytime.”

Katara frowned slightly – the way they were talking it was like she wasn’t even there, but she didn’t feel it was right for her to pry. Although, the name “Ty Lee” did ring a bell…”Is Ty Lee a nursing student?” This certainly grabbed both boys attention, and Sokka spoke up first. “Yeah – how did you know that?”

“She might be in my class – is she…well, a little out there? Like, talks about chi and stuff like that all the time?”  
“Oh yeah! She keeps offering to come over and give me a “proper massage”” Sokka’s air quotes were very exaggerated. “Like I’d fall for that – Suki would kill me! No, first she’d kill Ty Lee, then me, then use voodoo to bring me back and kill me again…” as Sokka continued to ramble on Suki’s supposed vengeance, Katara looked to Zuko for his reaction. It was subtle, but again, there was a sense of despair was hanging over him like a black cloud. “Zuko…I don’t really “hang” with Ty Lee, but I’ll be sure not to mention you’re home – it doesn’t sound like you want to see these people anyways” she offered gently. Zuko’s head shot up with surprise, “Uhh…yeah…I mean, please. Thank you.” They both blushed a little at this exchange – so simple, yet extremely meaningful and filled with a trust given freely. 

Sokka’s loud belch and announcement that he needed to be getting to his night class broke the moment again – his infinite talent. Zuko stood up and offered to take care of his friend’s empty bottle so he could get on his way, which left Katara wondering what she should be doing now. “Alright – I’m out. I might stop by Suki’s after class, but we’ll see. I’ll text you – and Katara,” he addressed his sister directly and now his tone was absolutely serious. “You call me if anything comes up with Fuckface.” Zuko scoffed from the kitchen, “I am not a fuckface!” Sokka chuckled darkly, “Not you, Hotman – different Fuckface.” Leaving Zuko with this puzzlement, he quickly made his exit so as to not waste any more time. For a moment, the remaining individuals watched the door before quickly looking at each other and away again just as quick. “So…I’m gonna head to bed – I know there’s no TV out here, but…I’m sure Sokka would be cool if-“ Zuko felt awkward, offering his roommate’s room for entertainment, even if it was to his little sister. Katara saved him the trouble though “Oh no, I’m good! I have some studying to do, and some research, so – yeah-“   
“Okay – cool, um – well, good night”  
“Goodnight, Zuko – it was nice to meet you” she added, with a smile.   
Something fluttered in Zuko’s chest at that expression, and he offered a small smile back, “Yeah, me too.” He turned away and found his way back to his room. _So empty…maybe I could get some stuff out of storage_ he mused, stripping off the shirt he’d just put on not long ago, and worked his way out of the jeans that were barely worn as well. _Whatever, we’ll see_ he concluded, flinging himself onto his bed and sighing the deep breathe of one who was finally going to get to rest. Eyes closing, deep breathing, and it wasn’t long before he was so deep asleep, you’d suspect he might be dead.

\---

_“Sokka – you’re so bad! Isn’t that Katara on the couch?”  
“Yeah – but she sleeps like a bear that’s ate a bag of quaaludes – come here”_

Soft giggles erupted, enough to drag Zuko up to a semi-conciuous state. _What…?_  
 _“Mmm, Sokka – oh! Come on, I can’t wait!”  
“I love it when you’re so impatient – let’s go!”_

A door softly opening and closing alerted Zuko it might be safe to fall back asleep. But then the banging started; a soft thump, thump, thump that sounded much more familiar than it should.

 _Jesus Buddha Krishna Christ – what the fuck, man!_ Zuko groaned, pulling his pillows over his ears, counting backwards from 1,000, and finally the sweet release of sleep started to come back to him. Until _his_ door suddenly opened. Zuko flipped over from his stomach to his back and sat up – squinting his eyes, he saw that the intruder was in fact Katara, who looked like she was both scarred for life but too exhausted to care. “Sokka is being too loud – can I sleep on the floor in here?” she murmured, already making herself a small nest on the floor next to his best. “What? I mean – “ he tried to protest, but it was too late. Katara had curled up on her side and was already asleep again.

Zuko scratched his head and decided he was too tired to object any further. He settled back down on his bed, and turned on his side to look at this new addition to his room. Sleeping, Katara was much more relaxed looking, and her full figure form was nicely outlined in the oversized t-shirt she wore as a nightgown. _She’s pretty cute_ he thought, too sleepy to suppress any growing awareness of just how attractive he found his friend’s sister. While Mai was tall, willowy, goth, mysterious, and full of a beautiful sadness and anger at the world, Katara was so different. Curvaceous, friendly, her kind nature brought a gentle beauty that seemed to shine through out. Zuko pondered the difference between Mai and Katara more until his eyes shuttered close again, and his dreams seemed to hold nothing but ocean filled eyes staring back at him.

_“Well, your mama kept you, but your daddy left you  
And I shoulda done you just the same  
But I came to love you, am I born to bleed?  
Any old time you keep me waitin'  
Waitin', waitin'”_

Light filtered gently through the small crack in blinds, which was Zuko’s first indication that it was probably morning. The next was the strong smell of coffee – good coffee – and someone’s cheerful singing from what sounded like the kitchen. Sitting up, he rubbed his face and looked over at the digital clock on his bedside table. It was 8:00AM, a supposedly reasonable time to be awake. He still felt jetlagged, but doubted he was going to get any more sleep at this point. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he stopped short by instinct alone and quickly peeked below – Katara was already gone, so he safely put his feet down on the floor. It surprised him he even remembered she snuck into his room last night – more from the fact she trusted him enough to do something like that, versus why she did it. Had he been in her place, and was exposed to the full “symphony” her brother was creating last night, he would ran for safer waters too.

A quick fresh up in the bathroom was enough to wake him up slight more, until he could get some proper caffeine in his system. _I’ll have to do some laundry today_ he added to a mental checklist, which included visiting his uncle at some point during the day. No doubt he’d be at his beloved tea shop; there was no rush. Once he was as presentable as possible (read: t-shirt, jeans, and Vans on his feet), he made his way into the living room to find out who was this singing coffee angel. As it turned out, it was Suki. She was working her way around the kitchen, shaking her hips and still singing “Lonely Boy”.

_“Oh whoa oh, I got a love that keeps me waitin'  
Oh whoa oh, I got a love that keeps me waitin'-“_

“Hey, Suki.” It was a simple greeting, but the fact she was so distracted was the only reason she could think she reacted as she did. She dropped into a low fighter’s stance and put a fierce face on. Only after she got a good look at who was actually talking did she relax. “Zuko! Sokka said you were home! Welcome back – coffee?” she cheerfully offered, as if she wasn’t about to pummel the snot out of Zuko. He snorted – only Suki.

“Yeah, please. Sokka still sleeping?” He asked, helping out by pulling out a large mug from a higher cabinet. Suki shook her head, her chin length hair swinging with the motion. “Nah, he’s working morning shifts this semester since all his classes are at night. Why the college thinks “Electrical Energy Conversion” would be a good class to teach at night is beyond me-“ she continued on, talking more or less to herself while pouring some coffee for Zuko, who took it black and sat at the kitchen island. He enjoyed talking to Suki – it was what he thought a normal sibling conversation would be like, if he had a normal sibling. Pushing those thoughts aside, he fought to focus on what she was saying next. “-and now with Katara here, it’s been a little nuts, you know? He’s just so protective, especially with what happened with-“ she caught herself and gave Zuko a sideways glance. “…they haven’t told me anything about what happened with Katara, and I’m not gonna pry,” he stated solemnly, sipping at the black delicious mana from heaven that was Suki’s coffee. She sighed, glad to be in understanding company.

“So, aside from trying to put holes through Sokka’s wall again, what’s up with you?” he asked innocently. Suki blushed and started to laugh out loud. “No way – sorry about that! And it’s same old, same old – master’s courses for women’s studies are still going well, and my defense class grew so I had to work with the college to get a bigger practice space” she stated this last piece proudly, and Zuko nodded his approval. “That’s great – I’m happy to hear…” and they went on like this for some time, until Suki announced it was now her turn to head off to classes. “If you see Sokka later, tell him I’ll be holding classes later than usual tonight so I might not be available,” she mentioned as she gathered her keys and messenger bag. “Right, so I’ll let him know you ran off to join Green Peace again and you’ll see him in six month,” he replied back dryly, turning his head back to his coffee. Suki smiled and gave her friend a small sideways hug before leaving. Zuko was now alone, for the first time since getting home. Oddly, it was a little lonely. Shaking his head, he drained his coffee and took out his phone, now finally charged. _Few messages from Chan…delete, delete, delete…message from Uncle; I’ll see him later…a message from…Mai_ he paused, looking at the phone as if expecting it to do something more miraculous than just existing. It was short and to the point – much like all her other message had been in the past.

Mai: Call me. We need to talk.

Zuko rubbed a hand over his good eye and debated for a moment if he really wanted to reply at this point. Sure, he kind of missed her, but he also wasn’t sure what it was about her he missed – her moodiness? Their ability to be angst ridden together? The sex? He decided to reply, but didn’t mince words:

Zuko: I’m busy. Just text me.

With that, he stuck his phone in his back pocket, checked all other pockets (or, as Sokka called it, the Zuko-Macarena), and set off for more important tasks that today would likely bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Suki is singing is "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys, one of the MANY songs listened to when writing this story. I highly encourage anyone who hasn't given them a listen to look them up.
> 
> Please feel free to leave your comments with any feedback you have.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is a traveling musician, and tours the country sporadically (much to the disapproval to his family, except his Uncle Iroh). When he’s not touring, he stays with his best friend / semi-roommate Sokka, living in Illinois, USA. When Zuko returns one of his gigs after 2 months of being away, he finds multiple changes have taken place, including the addition of a new roommate – Katara, Sokka’s younger sister. Katara is a student at the local college working her undergrad program, in hopes of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. Comedy, drama, and slow burn romance ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Another chapter, 2 days in a row?
> 
> The last part is a little short, but adds a lot to the plot. Fair warning, more angst to come in future chapters.

“Welcome to Jasmine Dragon – what can we make for you today?” the cheerful cashier asked Zuko, seemingly oblivious to who they were actually talking to. Zuko already knew what he wanted (his same standing order) but was more curious about the new employee – certainly they hadn’t been working here last time he’d been to the shop, had they? The young man looked very young to be working during the day, and for being so young was covered in large blue arrow tattoos. And even further, they were completely bald, save their eyebrows. He shook himself out of the reverie and ordered, “Green jasmine tea blend, iced, 2 stevia shots.” The young cashier smiled brightly, rung out the order, and set to working on it with the fervor only the unjaded workforce would hold. While waiting for his drink, Zuko stole a glance around the shop to see if anything else had changed. Other than some new advertisements for seasonal specials, it didn’t seem like much had – his uncle had even kept the stage he had insisted on building just before Zuko left…

_“Maybe my favorite musician will come play for my shop one day” Uncle Iroh mused as Zuko had finished helping in the basic sound set up, as a favor to the old man. “And who would that be?” the younger man asked, distracted as he had one million other things on his mind. Iroh smiled, although Zuko couldn’t see it – he waited for him to get to the conclusion. In the moment, Zuko frowned and looked up at his uncle, “You don’t mean me, do you?” The older man laughed, “Why wouldn’t I? You know I’ve always enjoyed your music – guitar, piano, you’ve always made such wonderful music…though some of that rock and roll…” Iroh shuddered, remembering his nephew’s penchant for the harder, harsher tones he could wrench from his instruments. It must be a reflection of some part of his soul. Zuko chuckled, knowing part of what his uncle was thinking – the harsh stuff was more likely to push a crowd away versus an acoustic tone. “We’ll see,” Zuko replied quietly, finishing his work. Iroh raised his eyebrows but said nothing – for his nephew to even consider playing for his shop was major step. Playing for a crowd of thousands? Easy. Something more intimate, 20 or 30 at most? He knew the young man would feel more exposed._

Zuko took his customary seat by the window, which would coincidentally put the stage to his back. He placed his motorcycle helmet on the floor near his seat, and glanced through the window to check his bike was still where he left it. 2 months away from his baby made him a little nervous, but he shook off the feeling quickly. The young tattooed barista brought his drink to him and placed it gently on the table, “Anything else we can get you?”  
“Yeah – is the owner in?”

“Mr. Iroh? Yeah…?”

“Tell him Zuko is here…please.”

The younger man looked puzzled for all of a moment before silently nodding and making his way to the back of the shop. Zuko smirked and settled himself into his seat, beginning to sip the cold sweet delicacy. After black coffee this morning, it brought a different kind of jolt to his system – a sense of familiarity washed over him, and he finally felt like he was back home. “Zuko!” a joyful voice called out to him from across the shop – he looked up and smiled at the older man making his way toward him, stopping here and there on his way to check in the limited patrons. _Always a business man_ he mused, happy to see his uncle still enjoying his “retirement project”. 

After leaving the…”family business”, Iroh moved to Illinois first, claiming the heat of the Southwest was never his element, and had settled in the suburbs of Chicago long before Zuko followed. As he settled into the seat across from his nephew, Iroh surreptitiously surveyed his favorite relation. _He looks thin…poor thing…the road he chooses is always so hard… _the older man thought. “How are you, Nephew? How was the tour?” he asked, and the young man opposite of him started to describe how his latest gig had been. Iroh listened, smiled, and laughed at the right moment but could not help but remember the Zuko who he’d first taken in what seemed like all those years ago. _Before he couldn’t barely look me in the eye – now he’s traveling with strangers, playing huge shows…my boy is growing up_ he felt a swell of parental like pride. “…and now I’m back…so, what’s new with you?” Zuko finished, taking a grateful sip of tea as his uncle took his own turn, explaining how the shop was doing well, a new infusion hipsters were bringing in new customers, “-and Aang has been a big help, too.” He finished with a nod towards the barista, who was now back behind the counter. The younger man glanced back over and suddenly made eye contact with the tattooed young man again, who blushed and immediately busied himself with something behind the counter. “He’s been a help?” “Oh yes – his friends come in all the time, and are so polite – plus, he taught me how to use Tweeter,” Iroh chuckled at this last fact. Zuko looked amazed – it was a struggle to have his uncle update any technology (never forget the epic “Wifi Battle of 2009”). This Aang must be some sort of guru, or miracle man. Zuko voiced this opinion, and Iroh laughed at the dry humor of it. Inside, Zuko finally felt he was officially home. Then Mai walked in, and ruined the feeling it immediately.  
  
\---  
  
_Gawd, I knew I’d find him in this dump_ Mai thought to herself, immediately spotting Zuko – not that it was too hard. The tea shop wasn’t the largest, and certainly not the most popular. _What a hole in the wall_ her internal monologue continued, but she did not let the surroundings deter her from her “mission”. This was personal, but it wasn’t about “them”. “Zuko,” even in her monotone drawl, the venom that dripped with the single word was palable. Iroh slowly looked between the thin young woman and his nephew before working his way up, “I’ll just leave-“  
“No, stay, I won’t be long,” Mai interrupted the older man from leaving, which left both men in shock. Even though Zuko and Mai had “dated”, for lack of a better term, she had never acknowledged Iroh in all that time. He sat back down and looked to his nephew for his lead.  
Zuko wasn’t sure how to react – embarrassed, exasperated, excited? He almost questioned whether or not maybe he was hallucinating – maybe a new tea blend gone wrong. But as Mai made her way closer, and her saccharine perfume teased the air, he knew she was real and his senses went on full alert. The room suddenly felt too hot, and his spine stiffened, a natural reaction to the tension. He forced himself to breathe and speak as calmly as he could, “Mai. What do you want?”  
“We need to talk.”  
“I thought that was our problem – that you don’t.”  
“Don’t be a dick-“  
“I’m not a di-“  
Iroh held his hand up between the bickering twosome. “Zuko, breathe. Young lady,” he turned his attention fully to Mai, pinning her with his eyes. “You have come to _my_ shop, I will ask for respect for both my business and my family. What can we do for you?” Mai looked Iroh in the eye for a long moment before closing her own and shaking her head. “I’m only here because you are the only ones I can trust – it’s Azula.” It was another tense moment before she continued.  
“She’s…different. Suffering. Zuko – I know you haven’t been around for a while, so you haven’t seen it; maybe you old man, but I doubt it. She’s more…erratic than ever. I think…she’s coming unhinged.” This was the most Zuko had heard from Mai in a long time, but he could barely comprehend what she was saying. _Azula_ …so much anger and distrust was associated with that name in his mind and heart. “So? Azula’s always been crazy-“  
“This is different, Zuko,” Mai interrupted quietly, her gaze locking with his. “She’s doing things that make no sense – did Sokka tell you that she was looking for you?” He nodded, glad now that his best friend had warned him of his sister’s visit. “Did he tell you what she was saying?”  
“No, just that she was looking for me.”  
“That dumbass. I was there, Zuko – she was a mess. When we left, she drove Ty Lee and I all over the damn city, looking for you.”  
“And you didn’t just tell her I was out of state?”  
“I…have my reasons why I don’t tell Azula certain things-“  
“Why? Are you afraid of her?”  
“I’m afraid _for_ her, Zuko.”  
Iroh kept his silence during this exchange, contemplating the words this young woman was saying. While he was not the biggest fan of his niece, he did know that as hard as a childhood Zuko had, Azula had had her own challenges. Before he had the chance to speak, his nephew spoke for them both, “Where is she now, Mai?”  
“I don’t know – and I’m scared she’s going to do something…either to herself, or someone else.”_ _

_\---_

__The room was dark, a single window pane allowing a sliver of light inside the normally gorgeous apartment._ _

___You know they hate you…_  
“Shut up.”  
_You’ll never be the daughter he wants…_  
”I mean it – shut up.”  
_Your mommy left because of you…__ _

__The young woman starts to cry, knowing the voices are telling the truth._ _

__**_No – your mommy left because of Zuko._**  
”…really?”  
**_Would I lie?_**  
_Azula always lies…_  
**_But Zuko lies worse._**  
_Maybe…__ _

__“Shut up, both of you!” Her head is starting to hurt more, the light from the window stinging her eyes. She gets up to close the blinds, but is shocked to see a shadow hiding behind them – but just as she sees it, it has disappeared. “Shadow people…” she mutters, knowing they’d be back._ _

__**_You need to talk to Zuko. Show him what he’s done._ **  
_Need to use your words…or more…_  
**_Where is Zuko?_ **  
_Where is Zuko?_  
**_Where is Zuko?_ **  
_Where is Zuko?_  
_WHERE IS HE, **WHERE IS HE** , WHERE IS HE?_ _ _

__She screams, covering her ears and cries out again. These voices were getting worse and worse – they needed to be silenced. She decides to take their advice – find Zuko, make him see what he’d done to her, make him…pay. “Maybe then the voices will shut the fuck up…” she muttered to herself, pulling herself together to look impeccable as always. In the mirror, she stared herself the eyes; the same eyes she shares between her brother and her beloved father. She hates how she’s reminded of her brother, and but feels a kinship with her father, who she knows hates him just as much. “Big brother…where are you…?”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave your comments with any feedback you have. Thank you, all!


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is a traveling musician, and tours the country sporadically (much to the disapproval to his family, except his Uncle Iroh). When he’s not touring, he stays with his best friend / semi-roommate Sokka, living in Illinois, USA. When Zuko returns one of his gigs after 2 months of being away, he finds multiple changes have taken place, including the addition of a new roommate – Katara, Sokka’s younger sister. Katara is a student at the local college working her undergrad program, in hopes of one day becoming a nurse practitioner. Comedy, drama, and slow burn romance ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that there are some graphic-ish descriptions of domestic violence, and a nice little NSFW scene at the end of the chapter. Also, a lot of the scenes in this story are happening parallel in time with each other, but we'll be moving forward in time soon.

_Another day done_ …Katara stretched her arms over her head before she closed her laptop and carefully put it back in its bag. She’d arrived back to the condo before either Zuko or Sokka, and after ensuring she was totally alone, took a quick shower and started on her coursework for the day. “…now what?” she spoke aloud, leaning back and stared at the ceiling. It was the first moment she really felt she was slowing down since the events of the last few days had her feeling like she was running one thousand miles a minute. She looked at her phone and, after moment of debate, opened her PhaseBook app and immediately regretted it. Her inbox was full of messages from Jet – the man she thought she knew, who turned out to be a monster hiding all along. Scrolling through the messages, she could see most of them were asking where she was, what was she playing at, that she better come home soon, that he would find her. The most recent messages were the most terrifying and she felt her hands begin to shake, her eyes tearing up. She tossed the phone away and buried her face in her hands, desperate to try and stop the flow of tears and pent up fear from coming out; but it was no use. All the energy she used to hide her anxiety from her brother came flooding out and memories of that night came back unrelenting.

_Katara walked in the door of the small apartment she shared with her boyfriend, dropped her laptop bag on the overstuffed chair by the door, and began to work her jacket off. “Babe? I’m home!” She closed her eyes briefly before working on pulling her shirt over her head as well. It suddenly hit her something was off. It smelled wrong in here…cigarettes, weed, and…perfume? She froze, unsure what was happening – putting caution above comfort, she lowered her shirt back onto her body and took in her surroundings more carefully. Evidence of Jet being home were strewn around – his motorcycle jacket was hanging off the chair it normally lived on, newspapers with job listings circled on them lay across the dining room table…but that smell still wasn’t right. Katara turned her head towards the bedroom door – the only other room in the apartment, and one that normally didn’t have the door shut at all. Quietly, she walked over and held her breathe as she listened. Small stirrings, a hushed whisper…she had enough; she gripped the door handle and wrenched the bedroom door open._

_“Jet, what is-“ she started to say but stopped, so shocked at the sight that lay before her eyes. Jet was home alright…as was a woman who looked like she hadn’t slept or eaten in a few days. They were both naked, though under the covers of the bed, and both reeked like the weed and cigarettes she’d smelled earlier. Katara’s eyes took in the whole scene with increasing anger; it boiled over when she saw the make-up mirror that normally sat on her bedside table had been toppled over, and what appeared to be white powder had dusted it lightly. “WHAT THE FUCK, JET?!” she screamed, which seemed to finally grab his attention. Jet turned his head lazily toward the door, the light hitting his eyes and he grimaced. “Ah fuck…Katara, what are you doing home?” The woman in bed next to him giggled, clearly just as high out of her mind as he was. “Shut up,” he growled at the stranger next to him, and she promptly quieted down. Katara could not believe what was happening in front her. She knew that something had been different lately - Jet was acting shadier, quicker to anger, and was more likely to start an argument than talk things through nowadays. If he wasn’t storming off in a fit, he almost seemed to be gas lighting her, trying to make her think that things were strained because of her. She grabbed her gym bag that lay on the floor by the closet and started shoving whatever clothes she could into it. “Katara – wait! What you doin’ baby?” Jet finally seemed to snap to his senses and climbed out of their bed. She didn’t answer, just moved past him to the bathroom, again throwing whatever she could get her hands on into the bag. “KATARA, ANSWER ME!” he shouted, and she turned slowly to stare at the man. He took this as an opportunity to close the distance between them and raised his hands to place them on her shoulders. “Why you so mad, baby?” he asked – all Katara could see was that Jet was indeed naked, sporting an erection she hadn’t seen in months. All she could smell was his breathe – rancid, with weed and cigarette traces still lingering. She wrenched herself from his grip, stepping back again and pushed past him, desperate to leave. Tears streaming down her face, she had the forethought to pick up her laptop bag where she’d left it, and without a word left the little apartment._

She sniffed, and felt pathetic. It was like the world has imploded on itself when she left the apartment that day. Katara knew Jet was a “bad boy” when they’d met; it was something that had attracted her to him in the first place. But she thought as they grew up together as a couple things would change; she was going to school, a clear goal in mind, he said he was working on finding a good job to support them both. But the partying never stopped, the jobs were sporadic and too many to count. It became clear that Jet was just along for the ride, that he expected Katara to eventually provide for both of them. The last year of their relationship had been the rockiest; she had just started her undergrad courses at the university full time and it was starting to put a strain on their time together. Jet had started to complain she wasn’t there enough, that if she really cared she would find a job that would let her make money faster. She’d argue that she couldn’t just give up her dream, not to mention her tuition was covered by grants and scholarships that she wouldn’t be able to transfer to any other program. “I can’t believe I wasted 3 years with that…that…ass-face!” she moaned, swallowing a hiccup that threatened to erupt, and stood up to clean herself up. “You’re better off without him, girl, and you know it,” her self-pep talk felt weak, but she kept going. “You are going to be nurse practitioner, you are going to help people, you will find someone who really loves you - you got this!” By the time her tears were dry and a cold compress cooled her flaming cheeks, she already started to feel better.

Katara started her way back into the living room, feeling better than she had in a really long time, and was just about to pick up the book Suki apparently left on the coffee table (she couldn’t imagine Zuko or Sokka reading ‘The Arctic Warrior Who Stole My Heart’) when a knock came at the door. _At least I’m not crying_ she thought, and went to answer it.

\---

_“Where is she now, Mai?”  
“I don’t know – and I’m scared she’s going to do something…either to herself, or someone else.”_

Zuko stared at Mai, who looked even more downcast than usual. He could tell she was telling the truth – after all, it wasn’t Mai who lied, it was always Azula. His sister had her issues – even though she’d never been formally diagnosed, he was pretty certain that there something…wrong with her. When they were little, and their mother still with them, even she could tell Azula was much more clever, sneaky, and cruel than other children. Although Zuko was older, Azula always acted beyond her years – academically and in maturity. After their mother had “left”, their father only encouraged the little girl in these behaviors and outright favored her more than his son. Ozai had already told Zuko enough times that he was lucky he was born, and that Azula had was it took to join the “family business” more than he ever could. It had all drawn to a head that fateful night…the night his father had pushed Zuko too far one last time, and Ozai decided their family was done. Azula hadn’t been there that night, and Zuko never found himself able to explain the truth – whether from his own reticence, or her stubborn refusal to listen. But now, it sounded like Azula’s demons were starting to catch up to her.

“And what do you expect me to do about it?” he asked, hanging his head and staring at his hands. Mai shook her own head, black silk tresses barely moving, “I don’t know…but I do know that Azula followed you here, and I followed her. If there is anyone she might consider…coming after…it might be you.”

Iroh looked at his nephew and knew the heaviness in his heart was crushing him right now. It appeared that the ghosts of their family drama were coming back to haunt them now; instead of a standoff in the dark west, he saw now there was to be a battle within their windswept city. “Zuko – Azula will try to find you. You know she puts as much blame on herself as she puts on you. We need to stop her, help her, before something happens,” he spoke gently, leaning forward and placing a light hand on his nephew’s shoulder. Zuko’s shaggy hair hid his face, but he knew his uncle spoke with truth. If not for Azula’s safety, it was going to have to be for the safety of those around her. She might seem the typical, affluent teenager, but he knew from personal experience that she was as deadly as any venomous creature and as dangerous as their father at the end of a bad day. After all, she learned everything she knew from their father. And if there was something their father was known for, it was for being dangerous. 

He straightened himself out and pulled out his phone. “The only people who know about Azula out here, who know her and who she really is are me, Uncle, Mai, Ty Lee…Sokka, Suki…” he talked aloud to himself, trying to narrow down what and where Azula would go. “She’s already tried to find me at the condo once…maybe she’ll” he stopped mid-sentence, panic streaked across his face. “Oh god, Katara – she has no idea.” Both Iroh and Mai raised their eyebrows at the mention of this new name, though Mai’s eyes narrowed with suspicion immediately. “Who’s-“ she started to question, but Zuko stood up and began to pace. “I don’t even have her number…how the fuck do I warn her…Sokka!” he crowed, but immediately quieted after seeing the few extra patrons the shop did have still staring at him. Punching in his unlock code, Zuko rapidly tapped his way through to his contacts and dialed his friend, crossing his fingers he would pick up.

“Hey, Sokka here – if you can’t reach me, I’m either working, sleeping, or don’t feel like answering! Leave me a message!”

“Damn it, Sokka – answer your phone! Call me back.” Zuko growled into the voicemail box, and tried the next name on his list; Suki.

“Hello. You have reached the phone of Suki, proprietor and teacher of Kyoshi Defense. Please leave your name, number, and reason for your call, and I will return your call at my earliest convenience. Thank you, have a nice day.”

“Does no one ever answer their phones anymore?” Iroh questioned, more to himself than to those around him. Zuko shoved the phone back into his pocket and made his way back to the table. Pulling his jacket back on, he set to work pushing his motorcycle helmet back onto his head. “Be safe, Zuko,” his uncle bade him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop the younger man if he tried. Mai, however, protested, “Where are you going?” He turned to her, the visor of the helmet still up, and locked eyes with hers, “Home.”  
“I’m coming with you!”  
“I don’t have a spare helmet-“  
“She can borrow mine!” a bright voice mentioned. Zuko and Mai both turned to the voice in unison; the bright eyed barista – Aang – was a table away, wiping it down. “I mean, if you need it? I use it for my Vespa but-” he continued nervously. Mai’s expression looked as of someone offered her a slug to eat, but Zuko snapped her out of it. “Either you borrow the kid’s helmet, or I leave here, now.” 

Not a moment later, Iroh watched as his nephew and his lady friend left on the back of his Kawosaki and disappeared into the distance. “Aang, that was a very kind thing you did,” he spoke to his young employee. The young boy shrugged and smiled, a sadness tinged in his face. “…My family always says to give when you can, what you can…but, Mr. Iroh, sir?”  
“What is it, Aang?”  
“I’ll get my helmet back, right?”  
“I’m sure of it – I do not think that lady is a big fan of orange…or cloud stickers.”

\---

“…And that, children, is why we must continue to study and appreciate the beauty of the aquatic world,” the tour guide finished their speech, before leading the group of rambunctious youngsters from the last designated part of their field trip. Sokka’s eyes followed the group, and when certain that all patrons were out of the area began roping the tank area off. He clicked the button to his earpiece, “Sokka-Awesome-sauce calling Piandao-Bossman.”

“Go for Piandao – not Piandao-Bossman.”

“Heh…Joo-Dee with Tour 3 is done in the otter exhibit, I’m gonna start working maintenance. Copy?.”

“Affirmative – and your name is not Awesome-sauce. Over.”

Sokka smiled and shook his head. He knew just what it took to toe that line between being his boss’s favorite mechanic employee and exasperating him to no end. He hefted his tool bag and made his way over the otter exhibit. Shepp Aquarium was one of the largest indoor pool aquariums in the world, had been Sokka’s main employer for the last 3 years, and he loved it. Not only was the work practical to what he was learning in his current undergrad program, but he secretly loved the tenants as well. 

“Hello, fellahs!” he waves to the family of otters who reside in the tank to his left. He sets his toolbag down and begins to work on the pipes that were reportedly leaking. “Okay, who was trying to escape this week? Meeko, Johnnie, or Bridget?” he talks to himself, as he sorts through the mess of what went wrong this week in this area. Sokka is a social creature but his non-verbal audience left something to be desired. At least they never heckled his jokes. 

“So – how does a penguin build its house? Anyone, anyone? Igloos it together! Haha! That’s a good one…okay, how about this…what kind of shoes does a ninja wear? Come on, I know Meeko knows this…sneakers!”

“Wow…I did not think your jokes could get much worse…” a voice drawls out behind him, which causes Sokka to emit a small squeal and turn with his wrench raised to face the unexpected audience member. He relaxes as soon as he sees his wonderful girlfriend, Suki. Leaning against the entrance to the otter exhibit, she just smiles and shakes her head. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I might think you were trying to commit animal cruelty to these guys.” Sokka puffs out his chest, “You know you love my jokes, how else could I have won you over?” He saunters over to her and places his forearm above her head.

“Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t your corny dad jokes,” Suki replies, smiling up to her boyfriend. Two years going strong, it was so easy to fall in love with Sokka. Sure, he was stubborn and at times a little overbearing, but he was also open and honest, allowed himself to be vulnerable with her and her alone. She understood what made him so protective of everyone that entered his life, from his sister, to Zuko, to her. He didn’t want to see anyone he held any love for get hurt. And that’s why she loved him.

“So anyways, I finished TA’ing a little early today…and I don’t have a defense call for another few hours…you almost done here? I was thinking maybe some late lunch?” she asks, blithely waving a hand to the random tools still scattered on the floor. Sokka nods, “Yep – just give me two minutes to clean up here and I’m all yours, my lady.” He set off to finish his project, true to his word, and called in to his supervisor one more time.

“Sokka calling Piandao-Bo – I mean, Piandao.”

“Go for Piandao .”

“All repairs made in the otter exhibit, I’m heading out for the day. Copy?.”

“Affirmative – and tell Suki we say hello. Over.”

Sokka grins, and picks up his tool bag, “Piandao says hello – now let’s blow this popsicle stand! Bye, Meeko, Johnnie, or Bridget – no more escape attempts, ‘aight?” He calls back to the otters, and swings his arms around Suki’s shoulders. “Mmm, you smell awesome…what is that?”

Suki chuckles, “It’s just green apple blossom – Sokka!” she gasps gently, as Sokka begins to nuzzle her neck as they walk their way out of the subterranean part of the aquarium, and into the light. Sokka chuckles to himself and moves his head away, but keeps his arm looped over her shoulders. “Sorry, Suki – you just smell too good! What you do say we skip lunch, and go straight for dessert?” he asks, twirling a strand of her loose hair around one of his finders. It’s Suki’s turn to laugh now, “Hah! Like you would give up food for anything.” Suddenly they stop, and Suki looks up into Sokka’s face puzzled. “Suki – you know how much I love you?”

“How much?”

“More than all the delicious foods in the world.”

“Aww…okay, Smart Guy. Where should we go for dessert?”

Not a moment too soon, they found themselves locked at the lips, stumbling their way into a little used janitor closet. Sokka ran his hands through Suki’s short locks, holding her to him as if she were his only tie to the world. Those hands started to explore however, moving southward down her back, making her arch into him. She broke off their kiss, breathing heavy. They knew each other so well – Sokka returned his lips to Suki’s neck, as she ran her hands over his well toned arms, making her way to his front and deftly undoing his pants button and fly. Sokka copied the motion onto her, skimming his fingers over her lacey undergarments before pulling them down her silky legs. He stays kneeled for a moment and helps her step out of her business trousers and panties. The dark of the closet does little to dull their senses – if anything, the thrill of being cloaked in total blackness and the (albeit small) chance of being caught are an aphrodisiac. They stay in silence for the moment, breathing heavy, the excitement growing – until Sokka’s phone begins to ring. “Nope, nope, nope!” he mutters, reaching back into his pocket and hitting the home button to send that call to voicemail. He stands tall now, and Suki reaches out her arms to find his broad shoulders. Using her own strength, she lifts herself up and cradles her body close to his and feels his erection skip her nether region. They moan in unison – you’d think they hadn’t seen each other for months instead of just hours before. Sokka grips Suki’s strong thighs, positions himself well, and sinks into her warmth.

She bites her lip and tilts her head back, throwing herself into the moment. Sokka takes this opportunity to attach to her neck again, this time sucking at the base of her throat. Suki gasps and reaches a deft hand between them, stroking herself in rhythm with Sokka’s thrusts. The beauty of knowing each other so well and being so in sync with each other’s needs, they quickly brought each other to a powerful climax in unison that left them gasping for air. Suki settled herself against her boyfriend, snuggling into his chest and feeling amazingly loved in the moment. “That was…some damn good dessert…” Sokka whisphers, gently lowering Suki’s feet to the floor and holding her close. “Mmhmm…” she agrees, before beginning the process of looking for her outstanding clothes in the semi-dark. “…huh, that’s weird,” she mentions as she pulls out her phone from her own pants pocket, as Sokka adjusts himself in the background. “What’s weird?” he asks, as he pulls out his own phone to try and provide a little light for his girlfriend. “I got a missed call – from Zuko.” Sokka frowns, and turns his own phone over to see who tried calling him earlier, “Huh…me too. You get a voicemail too?”

“No – go ahead and play yours, I’ll put my clothes back on.”

Sokka nods, and punches in his code to access is voicemail box. “Okay…shhh,” he advises Suki, so she knows the message is about to play.

_“Damn it, Sokka – answer your phone! Call me back.”_

Sokka snorts, “Well, doesn’t he sound huffy! Wonder what his problem is…” He frowns though, as a thought crosses through his mind. “If he tried calling me…and then tried calling you…I wonder what’s up.” Sokka attempts to call his friend back but now he is the one being stuck with a voicemail message: “You’ve reached me. Now leave me a message.”

“Hey man – calling you back, so now call me back.” He hangs up on the call and thinks hard for a moment. Suki watches and the wheels in their brains work in tandem. “Something’s wrong,” they speak together, and rush to finish getting out of closet that was moments ago a hidden pocket in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave your comments with any feedback you have. Thank you, all!
> 
> By the way, my SO thinks they are the emperor of "Dad" jokes - I tested Sokka's on them, and even they thought they were corny. Mission successful!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed - considering I'm typing this story when I should be sleeping, updates may vary but I'll try to stick to a somewhat solid schedule. Please let me know if you have any feedback, and what you think so far.


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